Date of intake:: 7/15/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender

Previously lived with:: 1 adult

Behavior toward strangers:: Friendly, outgoing, playful

Behavior toward children:: Playful, friendly and outgoing

Behavior toward dogs:: Friendly, outgoing, and playful

Behavior toward cats:: Curious

Resource guarding:: No resource guarding was reported by Zoolander's surrendering owners, but in a trial adoption in September 2026, he was reported to growl and hard stare when approached while lying on a bed or blanket.

Bite history:: None reported

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Zoolander is reported to have a high energy level.

Other Notes:: October 2026: Returned due to behavior concerns During his time in the adopter's home, Zoolander was reported to have snapped at the adopter when they attempted to pick up his leash to get him out of the car. He was reported not to have shown warnings, and no contact was made. The second incident occurred shortly after a walk. He attempted to pull the adopter into the street. When leash pressure was applied to redirect him onto the sidewalk, Zoolander reportedly redirected onto the leash and lunge/snapped at it. The third incident occurred when preparing to for a walk. Zoolander would bring the adopter the leash when he needed to go outside but would not allow them to take it. During this interaction, Zoolander became highly "excited" and, when the adopter attempted to take the leash, he snapped toward her hand. No contact was made for any of the incidents. An additional concern involved Zoolander's interactions with the adopter's young son. During a gradual introduction of the two, Zoolander walked past the son, appeared startled, and began low growling while backing away. To prevent further escalation, they immediately separated the two. The morning of his return, the adopter's brother arrived to assist with transportation. According to the adopter, Zoolander appeared immediately fearful of the brother and responded by growling, baring his teeth, and maintaining a hard stare. Potential resource guarding was noted. When Zoolander was resting on his blanket or bed, he would reportedly give a low growl and hard stare when approached. July 2026: First stay - owner surrender He is reported to be mouthy while playing and to jump frequently. He is not bothered when held/restrained, when woken from sleep, when startled, when his paws are touched, or when his collar is grabbed. There have been no attempts to push/pull him from furniture. He has never been to the groomer or had his nails trimmed. He loves to play with his leash and carry it in his mouth. He loves squeaky toys and fruit.

Date of assessment:: 10/7/2026

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: did not pull Reactivity to humans: none Reactivity to dogs: did not pass Leash walking comments: jumped and mouthed leash Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): solicits attention, begins jumping up on handlers Call over: approaches exuberantly and jumps up Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: jumps on handler, then tolerated Exuberant handling: tolerated Handling comments: Arousal Jog: leash bites, jumps Arousal comments: Knock: perked ears on knock, approaches handler and jumps up Knock Comments: Toy: body blocks, then grips toy and moves away Toy comments: 7/16/26: Previous assessment available on request

Summary:: According to Zoolander's previous owner(s), Zoolander is friendly, outgoing, and playful with other dogs. 10/29/26: Zoolander greets a novel female dog through a barrier in an elevated state of arousal, persistently vocalizing toward her without taking breaks or readily responding to attempts to refocus him. When staff move Zoolander away from the interaction, he redirects his arousal onto the leash and begins intensely leash biting. Due to his sustained arousal and difficulty disengaging, the interaction is ended. 7/29/26: Zoolander is introduced to a novel intact female and approaches the fence with a tense body and mid-high level flagged tail. He had perked ears and soft eyes as he sniffed nose to nose through the gate and watched the other dog along the fence line remaining non reactive. The other dog did not reapproach and Zoolander was easily redirected.

Summary (4):: 11/8/26: Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel where he is easily leashed and taken for a street walk. Zoolander pulls moderately whit a neutral body while walking slightly ahead of handler. He takes treats gently with a soft mouth and tolerates pets on his back, chest and side. At one point in the walk Zoolander saw a dog being walked across the street and he stopped and started to watch the other dog while occasionally vocalizing. Handler tried to use treats and leash pressure to get Zoolander moving again, after a few attempts Zoolander did follow handler and stopped looking at the dog. After his walk he was returned to his kennel with no issue. 11/03/26 (Trainer Note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. Upon noticing the handler, Zoolander begins jumping on the kennel door and barking with a loose body. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. The handler attaches a drag leash and Zoolander trots around the room. He is loose and social with the handler. The handler works with him on the place cue and Zoolander participates readily. He takes deep breaths and holds his position on the mat, allowing the handler to take steps back and reapproach. Zoolander also allows the handler to bounce a ball as he holds his position. He is easily leashed and returned to kennel without issue. 10/31/26 (Trainer Note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel with a loose body as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. The handler works with him briefly on the place cue. He is able to hold his position and take deep breaths. The handler then stands to fill a puzzle feeder. Zoolander stands at the handler's feet and takes deep breaths as they fill it. He then engages readily with the puzzle before laying on a blanket next to the handler. He is easily leashed and returned to kennel without issue.

Summary (5):: 10/21/26( PG note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel and will begin leash biting as the handler attempts to leash him. He will then be brought to the play yard, pulling hard on the leash throughout the walk. Once inside the yard, he will begin leash biting again as the handler places a drag leash on him. He will meet his playmate at the gate for a nose to nose greeting and begin vocalizing. The handlers will move both dogs back before opening the gate to allow a face to face interaction. Once the gate is opened, both dogs will circle around each other while sniffing. Zoolander will then begin jumping on his playmate, who will jump back onto him. Zoolander will begin growling, prompting the handler to pull him away from the interaction. He will then be brought back to his kennel safely without any issues. For more information, see Dog to Dog Assessment. 10/19/26( PG note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel on his hind legs and will begin leash biting as the handler attempts to leash him. The handler will prompt him to sit before placing the leash over his head. He will then be brought to the play yard to meet a female playmate. Zoolander will display a high level of arousal, which will result in his playmate showing little interest in engaging with him. He will then meet a second playmate, a male, and will again display a high level of arousal. While wearing the drag leash, Zoolander will continuously bite at the leash. Once his playmate arrives, the dogs will engage in body to body contact, jumping around each other and vocalizing while maintaining elevated arousal levels. Both dogs will then be separated. Zoolander will be brought back into the care center and returned to his kennel safely without any issues. For more information, see Dog to Dog Assessment. 10/18/26 (Playgroup): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. he will leash bite as the handler leashes him and will trade for a treat. Zoolander will pull strongly out of the building and will jump at the handler twice. As they leave the building Zoolander will walk by their side and rewarded with treats. Zoolander is brought to the play yards and c lipped to a a drag leash. Zoolander will attempt to leash bite the drag leash and will drop when he hears the squeaker. Zoolander meets a novel female (please see D2D for more information). Zoolander will approach the novel female face on, jumping at her. After multiple corrections from the female, the dogs were separated and Zoolander was returned to his kennel without issue.

Summary (6):: 10/17/26 (Trainer Note): Zoolander is sitting at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. Zoolander is loose and social with the handler, allowing them to attach a drag leash. The handler works with him on sitting and taking a deep breath. Zoolander engages intently. The handler then encourages him to jump up onto the platform and repeat the same - sitting and taking deep breaths. Zoolander again does so readily. The handler is able to take 5 steps back and let him take several breaths before reapproaching. The handler then releases him. Zoolander runs around the room and picks up toys. The handler sits on the couch and Zoolander jumps up and lays on their lap. Another handler enters the room and the handler holds onto his leash. Zoolander initially attempts to run over and greet the handler, but then begins to take deep breaths towards them as they exit. The primary handler reinforced him for doing so. A third handler enters and Zoolander rushes over, jumping onto them repeatedly. He then runs back to the primary handler. The handler prompts him to sit and he does so, automatically taking deep breaths. The third handler repeats this process. Zoolander grabs the leash as the handler goes to re-leash him, but handler again asks him to sit and breathe and he does so. He is then able to be leashed and the drag leash is removed. Zoolander is returned to kennel without issue. 10/07/26 (BA note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel and will allow the handler to place the leash over his head but will then become mouthy with the leash. He will then be brought to the assessment room, where he will continue displaying mouthiness toward the leash as the handler attempts to place a drag leash on him. He will tolerate handling but will require distraction from a secondary handler. He will run and become aroused, jumping up and attempting to leash bite. He does not respond to the knock and will grip the toy in his mouth, displaying a semi-body block while shaking the toy before releasing it. For more information, see Behavioral Assessment. 10/05/26 (Trainer Note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He begins to jump and bark at the kennel. Zoolander is leashed and jumps out of his kennel and attempts to grab the leash. The handler gives Zoolander a toy and he will walk to the training room. Zoolander is clipped to a drag leash and practises his place cue on the Klimb. Zoolander will go to the Klimb and automatically sit. The handler can take five steps away and return, mark and reward. Zoolander will jump and put his front paws on the handler and solicit pets. Zoolander is easily re leashed and returned to his kennel without issue.

Summary (7):: 09/25/26 (Trainer Note): Zoolander is standing on the door of his kennel as the handler approaches. He grabs the leash in his mouth as the handler attempts to leash him. The handler throws treats and he releases. The handler attempts again putting a treat lure first and he is able to be leashed without issue. Zoolander pulls moderately to the canine training room. The handler works with him on relax on mat and he is able to hold his position in short intervals. The handler reinforces him on a snuffle mat and this seems to help him settle, allowing him to engage for longer periods. He is easily leashed with a treat lure and returned to kennel without issue. 09/18/26 (Trainer Note): Zoolander is laying down on his bed as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls mildly to the canine training room. The handler works with him on the introducing the mat. Zoolander is able to jump up onto the mat, but struggles to focus and is only able to do so intermittently. He pants mildly throughout the duration of the interaction, often moving away to sniff various parts of the room. He is easily leashed and returned to kennel without issue. 8/22/26: Zoolander is standing at the front of kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and is then taken outside for a walk. On the walk, he would pull ahead as he explores around. He would stare at dogs nearby and is able to be redirected with treats. He is then taken to the yard and he engages in eating treats that the handler would scatter around. He is able to return back to his kennel with no issues. 07/29/26 (PG Note): Zoolander is standing at the front of his kennel and will allow the handler to leash him with ease. He will then be brought to the play yard to meet a female playmate. Once inside the yard, he will approach the greeting gate for a nose to nose greeting. His playmate will be guided to the gate, as she is displaying a tucked tail and avoidant behavior. Zoolander will maintain a loose and wiggly body while greeting her and will kick his hind legs backward before disengaging and walking away. Once this session is concluded, Zoolander will be brought back to his kennel safely without any issues. For more information, see Dog to Dog Assessment. 7/16/26 (Assessment): Zoolander was at front of kennel jumping with front paws on kennel door. He was avoidant of leash so handler used a treat lure where was leashed and then taken to the behavior room for his assessment (Please see assessment notes for details). He demonstrated a sensitivity to having his neck touched. He was social with handlers during assessment and was shaking at the start. He was returned with no issue.

Date of intake:: 7/15/2026

Summary:: Friendly and socialist staff, unable to be College due to jumping needed encouragement to enter kenn

Date of initial:: 7/17/2026

Summary:: Resistant to any handling. Very flighty when touched

ENERGY LEVEL:: Zoolander is described by his previous owners as a high energy dog and will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): due to Zoolander's social hyperarousal and touch sensitivity, and fearfulness he has shown around children, we recommend an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Due to all noted concerns, we recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Social hyperarousal,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: Basic manners/poor impulse control: Zoolander's previous owner reported he would jump up often in the previous home. Similar behaviors were displayed during his handling assessment. Please see handout on basic manners/poor impulse control. Social hyperarousal | leash biting: Zoolander quickly becomes aroused in the presence of people, picking up his drag leash while biting and shaking it in addition to leash biting during his handling assessments and in a home environment. Positive reinforcement, Force free training should be used to teach Zoolander to remain calm when people and other exciting things are around. Please see handout on arousal. Handling/touch sensitivity: During the touch portion of his assessment, Zoolander flinched and head-whipped when his neck was touched. Boy touching Zoolander's neck at this time, as we do not know where he may have other sensitivities. Please see hand out on handling/touch sensitivity. Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: During a trial adoption in September 2026, Zoolander was reported to have growled and backed away from the adopter's eight-year-old son, and to have growled and bared his teeth at an unfamiliar family member. He gives clear warnings when he is uncomfortable and does seem to choose to avoid or retreat when given the opportunity, but if prevented from moving away there is a potential to escalate to higher-level warning behaviors and possible fear-based aggression. It is important to move slowly with Zoolander and allow him to initiate interactions with new people. He should never be forced to greet or to interact if he is not comfortable and soliciting attention. Please see handout on Fear/potential for defensive aggression. Resource guarding: During a trial adoption in September 2026, Zoolander was reported to have growled if approached on a bed or blanket. We recommend that he be left alone while resting, and that positive reinforcement behavior modification steps are taken if this behavior occurs in a future home. Please see handout on Resource Guarding.